When the San Francisco Giants ended their series with the Los Angeles Dodgers by losing it set the stage for a three-game set against the surprising Arizona Diamondbacks who no one besides their manager Kirk Gibson thought would compete this year.

Instead the World Champion San Francisco Giants would come to Phoenix in a must win situation. The magic number to eliminate the Giants from the National League Western Division was one meaning they would have to win six straight ballgames while the Diamondbacks would have to lose six straight to force a one-game playoff.